Steamer and preheater for corrugating machines



Dec. 29, 1936. w. c. GEORGE 2,065,576

STEAMER AND PREHEATER FOR CORRUGATING MACHINES Filed Feb. 24, 1936 22INVENTO.

' 2| WALTER 0.050%:

2.0 A By n r i ATTORNEY Patented Dec. '29, 1936 STEAMER PREHEATER FORCORRU- GATING MACHINES Walter 0. George, St. Louis, Mo., assirnor toRobert Gaylord, Incorporated, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of MissouriApplication February 24, 1936, Serial No. 65,410

11 Claims.

In the manufacture of corrugated fiberboard the sheet to be corrugatedis conditioned before it passes between the corrugating rolls to renderit more pliable and to enable it to retain its cor- 6 rugated form.Heretofore this has usually been accomplished by means of open jets ofsteam discharged against one or both faces of the sheet. This isobjectionable because of the great amount of steam required which is notonly wasteful but results in excessive moisture of condensation aroundthe machine. Such moisture is not only detrimental to the machine and tothe material being run, but also, in many cases, to the building itself.Further, this moisture is absorbed by the adhesive, silicate of soda,which thus becomes diluted and aifects the quality of the corrugatedboard produced.

- One object of my invention is to prevent the escape of steam aroundthe machine. This I accomplish by conditioning the sheet through themedium of one or more closed steam chambers, of which chamber orchambers the sheet itself forms one wall, so that the steam enters andpermeates the sheet as it travels across such chamber or chambers.

Another object of my invention is to so construct the conditioningdevice that it will act as a pre-heater for the sheet as well as asteamer. I accomplish this by supplying the steam chamber or chambersfrom a steam reservoir over the heated surface of which the sheet passesin traveling over the device.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a steamer and pre-heatermade in accordance with my invention, together with a portion of acorrugating machine to which the same is applied, Figure 1 is an endview, partly in elevation and partly in section; Figure 2 is a plan viewtaken in the direction indicated by arrows 2-2 of Figure 3; Figure 3 isan elevation of the end opposite Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a section onthe line 4-4 of Figure 2, the sheet being shown in position over thesteam chamber.

Referring first to Figure 1, the numeral l indicates the frame of acorrugating machine in which is mounted in any usual manner (not shown)a main fluted roll 2 and a cooperating fluted roll 3 between which thesheet A" is corrugated. Mounted on the machine frame I are a pair ofside frames 4 in which are carried the supporting shafts 5 of thesteaming and preheating device. These shafts are prevented from rotationby set-screws '6.

The shafts 5 each terminate in a disc 1 and 8,

respectively, which are welded or otherwise secured to the ends of atubular member 9 forming the steam reservoir of the device. A portion,preferably somewhat less than one-fourth, of the periphery of thetubular member is removed and an angle bar I II is inset, being weldedor other- 6 wise secured to the edges of the tubular member and to thediscs to form steam-tight joints. The groove or trough thus formed isdivided by partitions H to form a number of steam chambers l2. The freeedges of these partitions con- 10 form to the peripheries of the discs.While these, partitions may be parallel to the discs, I prefer toslightly incline them in opposite directions'at each side of the centerof the reservoir, as shown in Figure 2, so that they operate on thesheet 5 A" to stretch it laterally as it passes over them. The supply ofsteam to the individual steam chambers is controlled by petcocks l3passing through one flange of the angle iron and communicating with apipe l4 extending through the 20 tubular member 9 adjacent said flange.This pipe has its end adjacent disc 8 closed and extends through disc 1into a block I5 connected by pipe l6 with a block I! communicating withthe interior of the steam reservoir 9. A main 25 valve l8 in the pipe I6serves to control the sup ply of steam from the reservoir to the pipe I4. Steam is admitted to the reservoir through a supply pipe l9 and waterof condensation is discharged through pipe 20 which is connected with 30a trap (not shown) of the type permitting the flow of water butretaining the steam.

Secured to each of the discs I and 8 is a bracket 2| in which bracketsis journaled an idler roll 22. This roll is so positioned that the 3sheet A passing around it will contact with the periphery of the steamreservoir 9 for some distance before passing over the steam chambers.Thus the steam reservoir acts as a pre-heater for the sheet. Thefriction of the sheet A on 40 the steam reservoir tends to rotate thelatter and while this is prevented by set-screws 6, I prefer to provideeither of the discs I or 8 or ,both with a bracket 23 connected by alink 24 with some part of the frame to relieve the strain 45 on theset-screws.

In the operation of my device the tension on the sheet A, as it is fedto the corrugated rolls, holds the sheet firmly against the periphery ofthe steam reservoir so that it closes all the 50 steam chambers overwhich it passes. The steam thus acts upon and permeates the sheetwithout being allowed to escape. In case a sheet is employed of lesswidth than the length of the steam reservoir, the petcocks of all of thechambers 55 not covered by the sheet are closed to prevent the escape ofsteam. While I have shown all the steam chambers as supplied withpetcocirs those at the center of the reservoir, which will be covered bythe narrowest sheet employed, need not be so equipped but may remain inpermanent communication with the pipe I. when the sheet is to bechanged, or other adjustments made, the steam may be cut oil. from allthe chambers by the main valve is. The use of pipe ll to supply thechambers, not only enables the steam to be cut oil from the chamberswithout stopping the supply to the reservoir and thus allowing it tocool, but also provides a super-heater to insure drier steam than wouldbe otherwise supplied.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination with corrugating rolls, of

a plurality of steam chambers situated adjacent said rolls, one wall ofsaid chambers being formed by the sheet of material operated on by saidrolls, said chambers extending in a direction transverse to the travelof said sheet, means for controlling admission of steam to multiplechambers, and auxiliary means for controlling admission of steam toindividual chambers.

2. The combination with corrugating rolls, of a steam reservoir situatedadjacent said rolls, said reservoir having a'trough in its peripheryforming a steam chamber, said chamber having a wall formed by thematerial operated on by the corrugating rolls, said chamber extending ina direction transverse to the travel of the material, and means forcontrolling the admission of steam from said reservoir to said chamber.

3. The combination with corrugating rolls, of a steam reservoir situatedadjacent said rolls, said reservoir having a trough in its periphery,partitions in said trough dividing it into a pinrality of steamchambers, one wall of said chambers being formed by the sheet ofmaterial operated on by the corrugating rolls, said trough extending ina direction transverse to the travel of the sheet, and a' plurality ofvalves controlling admission of steam from the reservoir to individualchambers.

4. The combination with corrugating rolls, of a steam reservoir situatedadjacent said rolls, said reservoir having an arcuate surface over whichthe sheet of material operated on by the corrugating rolls travels, asteam chamber in said arcuate surface, said chamber extending in adirection transverse to the travel of the material and means forcontrolling the admission of steam from said reservoir to said chamher.

5. The combination with corrugating rolls, of a steam reservoir situatedadjacent said rolls, said reservoir having an arcuate surface over whichthe sheet of material operated on by the corrugating rolls travels, aplurality of steam chambers in said arcuate surface, said chambersextending in a direction transverse to the travel of said sheet, and aplurality of valves for controlling admission of steam from saidreservoir to individual chambers.

aoeaeve 6. The combination with corrugating rolls, of a steam reservoirsituated adjacent said rolls, said reservoir having an arcuate surfaceover which the sheet of material operated on by the ber having anarcuate surface over which the.

sheet of material operated on by the rolls travels, a trough in saidarcuate surface, said trough ex-' tending in a direction transverse tothe travel of the sheet, and partitions in said trough dividing it intoa plurality of steam chambers, said partitions being oppositely inclinedat each side of the center of the member to stretch said sheetlaterally.

8. The combination with corrugating rolls, of-

a member situated adjacent said rolls, said member having an arcuatesurface over which the sheet of material operated on by the rollstravels, a plurality of steam chambers in said arcuate surface, saidchambers extending in a direction transverse to the travel of saidsheet, a steam conduit, and valves for controlling the admission ofsteam from said conduit to individual steam chambers.

9. The combination with corrugating rolls, of a steam reservoir situatedadjacent said rolls, said reservoir having anarcuate surface over whichthe sheet of material operated on by said corrugating rolls travels, asteam .chamber in said arcuate surface, said chamber extending in adirection transverse to the travel of the material, said arcuate surfaceextending beyond said chamber on at least one side thereof, and meansfor guiding the .sheet over said extended arcuate surface to pre-heatsaid sheet.

10. In a conditioning device for a web of flexible material, a tubularsteam reservoir, said reservoir havim a convex face over which the webpasses in intimate contact therewith, said face having a steam chambertherein communicating with the reservoir and extending in a directiontransverse to the travel of the web, said chamber being closed by theweb, and means for controlling'the admission 'of steam from thereservoir to the chamber.

11. In a conditioning device for a web of flexible material, a tubularsteam reservoir, said reservoir having a convex face over which the webpasses in intimate contact therewith,.said face having a steam chambertherein communicating with the reservoir and extending in a directiontransverse to the travel of the web, said chamber being closed by theweb, supports in said chamber extending substantially in the directionof the travel of the web, said supports conforming to the curvature ofthe convex surface, whereby said web is maintained in arcuate formduring its travel over said chamber.

WALTIR- C. GEORGE.

